Jammu, Feb 12 (IANS): In a move to put flood forecast mechanism in place, Jammu and Kashmir has joined hands with UK Space Agency's collaborative project on 'Impact-Based Flood Forecasting using Earth Observation-based Information'.

"Having impact-based forecasts of flood risks will be useful for efficient, effective contingency planning and swift evaluation of severity for necessary response," Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was quoted as saying in an official statement.

He observed that international collaboration adds specific value in helping analyse the past flood events and identify relations between predicted floods and their impact.

The mechanism will predict the impacts on people, their houses, crops, livestock, and transport routes, thereby mitigating many of the challenges people face during flood events, he added.

The project will be undertaken by HR Wallingford in collaboration with Oxford University, Sayers and Partners, and D-Orbit (UK).

A recent report has put India among 10 most disaster-prone countries in the world and ranked floods as a climate-related hazard posing the greatest risk to the people.

India has numerous flood forecast systems that provide predictions of water levels and flows but not their impact in terms of loss of life, damage to buildings, critical infrastructure and agriculture.

"In J&K, there is no effective impact-based flood forecast mechanism in place as such. It is a big initiative taken by the Lt Governor and will help predict fluvial flood risks, in terms of expected loss to life, injuries to people, building collapse, infrastructure disruption, and economic damage," the statement added.

The framework can be linked to existing or future flood-flow forecast systems. The UT government will not have to bear any expenses on the project.

The National Space Innovation Programme of the UK Space Agency supports collaborative projects between UK organisations and international partners.